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Mass urbanisation in cities of the global South, is causing cities to evolve, with informal settlements being central to this evolution. While local government is the official point of interaction for urban informal settlement dwellers, those interactions are often characterised by a lack of meaningful participation. Engaging with the co-production literature and two case studies of informal settlements in Cape Town, South Africa, this paper examines how they shed light on the shifting and constantly evolving roles and practices of local government and community actors within a co-production engagement. Based on the findings from these cases, the paper argues that co-production as a practice of collaboration between the local state and citizens can allow for the forging of new relationships, built on trust, sharing of resources and a more equal distribution of power where communities can shape the outcomes of service delivery projects to respond to their needs and demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small ruminant production is one of the most important animal productions for food security in the world, especially in the developing world. Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection is a threat to this animal's production. Conventional drugs that are used to control these parasites are losing their efficacy due to the development of resistant parasites. These drugs are not biologically degradable, taint meat products and are also expensive for communal farmers. Hence, research is now exploring ethnomedicinal anthelmintic plants for an alternative remedy. The objective of this paper was to review ethnomedicinal plants as a potential alternative to unsustainable commercial anthelmintics. This review sought to understand common GINs infecting ruminants, resistance manifestation in GINs to conventional treatment, reasons communal farmers choose ethnomedicine, and modes of action in anthelmintic plants. It also examined the usage of plants and plant parts, dosage forms, methods for improving bioactivity, convectional validation procedures, and restrictions on ethnomedicinal plant use as anthelmintics in ethnomedicine. Such insight is essential, as it highlights the importance of ethnoveterinary medicine and ways to adopt or improve it as a potential alternative to conventional anthelmintics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of cloud computing and the introduction of Web technologies and the significant development in the digital technologies led to the connectivity of states and nations (developed and developing countries) worldwide in which global network provide platform for the connection. Digital forensics is a field of computer security that uses software applications and standard guidelines which support the extraction of evidences from any computer appliances which are perfectly enough for the court of law to use and make a judgment based on the authenticity and objectivity of the information obtained. This work aims to study the importance of digital forensics in cyber security and its impact on developing countries and shows the tremendous growth of cyber threats and attacks in them. A systematic survey method was used for research papers in this field. As a consequence, researchers have called for the need to develop digital forensics skills in South Africa through university programs, have associated training courses, and evaluate the extent to which the current cyber security awareness initiatives address cyber security threats and risks. In most parts of the world today, especially in developing countries where computers and other digital devices are used daily on the Internet for excessive fraudulent activities, this will help eliminate and minimize computer-related crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevailing global competitive environment requires continuous improvement approaches that integrate the entire organisation, from strategic management to operational performance. World class manufacturing (WCM) is a continuous improvement strategy that defines the logic, rigour, and detail of how organisations can achieve sustainable operational performance and customer satisfaction improvements. The paper investigates the factors influencing the successful implementation and sustaining of WCM in the South African manufacturing industry. A qualitative descriptive approach is employed to probe the views and opinions of WCM practitioners in a global manufacturing company with a footprint in South Africa and in other African countries, who were enrolled via purposeful sampling. The findings revealed that management commitment significantly influences achieving a successful WCM system. Furthermore, running WCM as a system could mitigate noticeable barriers identified in this study. The study could substantially enhance industrial engineering practice by revealing aspects to consider when implementing and running a WCM system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic research on mining and climate change and associated impacts on water resources particularly for the developing world has been limitedly explored. Climate change is expected to make water insecurity in rural areas more severe as weather patterns become unfavourable. The extent to which the mining sector is able to reduce its impact on water resources and adapt to climate change will have implications for host communities. This paper explores the relationship between climate change, mining development and water security and how this places rural communities in a position of risk from mining development and climate change for water security. This paper focuses on the Fuleni and Somkhele rural communities located within the uMkhanyakude District Municipality in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, a climate change-induced water scarce area. Despite drought, mining operations continue. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from key social actors in the Fuleni community (i.e. residents opposing mining development) and with Somkhele residents (already burdening with mining operations). Additionally for Somkhele, a questionnaire was used to ascertain 424 household views on the impacts of climate variability and mining impacts on livelihoods and water. Results indicated an interplay between climate change, mining impacts and water (and food) security. Development must be implemented in an integrated and holistic manner that contributes to sustainable development and does not impact on water resources. Technological innovations related to water and energy and inter-sectoral collaborations must be prioritised between mining, the government, and civil society, to achieve water security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International trade in the 21st century operates through global value chains (GVCs). There is a growing literature on how the emergence of GVCs has changed the playing field for catch-up industrialization of developing countries. Inter-industry linkages have historically been a central aspect of catch-up industrialization. How such linkages on the country level are affected by the reality that trade is conducted via GVCs is an important research question. This paper synthesizes the theoretical elaborations on inter-industry linkages from the classic development economics literature with secondary empirical data from the East Asian industrialization experience to illustrate the importance of inter-industry linkages for the industrialization process. Using primary data from the South African automotive industry, the paper shows how the dynamics of the automotive GVC have affected domestic inter-industry linkage building in the country. The backward linkages to the domestic component manufacturing industry and to the domestic materials industries from South Africa's successful integration into the automotive GVC have been disappointing. Both local policy decisions as well as GVC-specific dynamics of follow sourcing and the proliferation of manufacturing technologies and material standards have undermined more substantial backward linkages from exports of automobiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity and the impact of international migration on developing economies have grown to be a global phenomenon that cannot be ignored. Natural disasters, human-made disasters such as conflicts as well as political and economic instabilities in countries are at the centre of international migration. The receiving countries can have positive contributions from migration and face the glaring realities of providing social services to their citizenry and the migrants. South Africa is not an exception to this impasse. Among other challenges experienced by developing countries linked to international migration are overpopulation growth, rising unemployment and poverty levels, poor infrastructure and low lifestyle quality. Therefore, the purpose of this conceptual paper was to analyse the impact of international migration on developing economies with specific reference to South Africa. The study used secondary data comprising existing literature and legislative and policy documents related to international migration for both domestic and international migration. The information collected from the secondary data was analysed and used as the basis to give the view and the study in its conclusion. The study aimed at contributing to the body of knowledge and the shaping of policy perspectives for both policy makers and development actors in South Africa, and to broaden the understanding of how governments from both receiving and the sending countries deal with international migration. The study provided an important foundation upon which further large-scale research could be developed on international migration, especially on its impact on developing economies like South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the intellectual and sociological contribution of Sitas as a diasporic public intellectual who bridges and navigates between continents. Sitas's creative, scientific, and critical engagement in postcolonial thinking connects Cyprus to Africa, drawing from both his country of origin, Cyprus, and South Africa, where he excelled as a dramatist, poet, sociologist and public intellectual. This 'in-betweenness' seems to be the basis for the vantage point from which to observe society to inspire him during his remarkable intellectual and artistic journey within and between the continents. Perhaps unknown outside Cyprus, Sitas has had a crucial impact on the development of critical social sciences and civic action in Cyprus: the study of racism, intolerance, and the potential for reconciliation and between Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots and bringing to Cyprus postcolonial perspectives from the Global South, opening new readings in the study of reconciliation, borders, migration, precarity and social space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing scholarship recognising every-day mobility and the manifestations of geographies of care of children and their caregivers, their practices are still under-researched and largely viewed as deviations from the norm. Cultural expectations, socio-economic conditions, and identities, amongst a host of other intersectional factors, influence how 'care' is understood and practised in different households and individuals. Based on significant fieldwork in 5 communities across the Gauteng city-region, South Africa, over a period of 9 months and using a mixed-method approach, this paper traces notions of 'good' parenting, the influence of gendered social norms and the specifics of urban morphology to explore the daily footprints of care. The Gauteng case, an exemplar of city-regions in the global south, offers insights into the complexities of care in a context of state absence in daily care and the consequent need for high levels of privatised responsibility. The method comprises focus groups, qualitative interviews as well as an innovative mobility tracking app on smartphones. Our analysis shows how relations of care within the domestic sphere influence mobility patterns, transport choices and spatial footprints at the urban scale, at locations of care as well as through materialities of care. The physical manifestations and spatial implications of parental geographies of care need to be understood and considered at both a theoretical and policy level to address the spatial and transport needs of parents and families in the urban environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The canonical work of Sir Hilary Jenkinson, Manual of Archive Administration, published in 1922, provided the basis of archival theory and practice in many countries, especially British colonies. In his canon, Jenkinson requested the archivists to evaluate the manner in which they select records for permanent preservation. With examples from South Africa, this paper intends to confront the canon about the selection and destruction of modern archives. A complementary method of appraising records based on an 'audit or money trail,' as best illustrated through the Auditor-General of South Africa's audit reports of public entities such as the Armaments Corporation of South Africa, is proposed. This paper ruffles feathers and argues that contrary to established orthodoxies of records selection, financial audit trails provide the most reliable clues of which and what historical records ought to be set aside and preserved. The authors cite the limits of this 'follow the money' method and provide mitigation suggestions. The paper challenges existing appraisal paradigms and has a potential to influence policy, theory and practice of appraisal in developing and developed countries. It also offers a modern-day refurbished continuation and expansion of the ideas addressed by Sir Hilary Jenkinson in his seminal canon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the competitiveness of international orange trade over the period 1993-2018 based on global data. The paper uses the methodology of comparative advantages to analyse fresh orange and orange juice data. Results suggest that most competitive countries are focusing on processed orange trade. Although Brazil is the world's largest orange-producing country, it is not among the top 10 countries in the global orange fruit market, representing that it mainly focuses on processing. Results also suggest that there is no high concentration in the export market for fresh oranges, however, Spain's share is growing steadily, as well as South Africa and Egypt can be mentioned as emerging nations. With further analysis of the international orange trade, Egypt's comparative advantage over fresh oranges increased the most and had the highest results in recent periods followed by South Africa, Greece and Spain. By examining global orange juice trade, it is not surprising that Brazil had the largest comparative advantage, although its value is constantly declining. With a dynamic analysis of comparative advantages, a large decrease can be observed in the chance of survival of the advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance and benefits of measuring innovation in businesses, standard methods for innovation measurement, such as the Oslo Manual, largely exclude the agricultural sector. As a result, innovation scholars in developing countries struggle to develop knowledge to understand innovation in agricultural businesses. This paper proposes a conceptual framework to guide research on the measurement of innovation in the agricultural sector in developing countries, focusing initially on commercial agricultural businesses. The proposed framework provides an analytical reference point with detailed methodological guidelines for scholars and practitioners of innovation studies who wish to understand the complexities and dynamics of innovation in commercial agricultural businesses (including forestry and fishery businesses). A practical example, based on an empirical study that used this framework to measure innovation in South Africa's agricultural sector, illustrates how it can be put into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the present era, research data is a concern for researchers, as they are trying to find new ways to communicate their research findings and conclusions to other researchers in order to increase visibility and credibility. BRICS nations are fast emerging economies and contribute significantly in research output. This study makes an effort to analyze and explore the role of BRICS nations towards open access research data repository registered with Registry of Research Data Repositories. Design/methodology/approach: The data were gathered from re3data repository, and the search was limited to BRICS nations. The data were further analyzed and tabulated as per set parameters, namely, country-wise distribution, types of contents, subject coverage and language diversity. Findings: The findings depict that in terms of strength, India has the highest number of data repositories, thereby achieved the first rank among BRICS nations, and South Africa has the least number of data repositories, whereas in terms of content type and subject coverage, India again is leading among BRICS nations. The English language is used by repositories as the main language of the interface. Practical implications: The study helps to understand the development of research data repositories by BRICS nations. The study is further beneficial to researchers, as Registry of Research Data Repository provides a single platform to access repositories from various disciplines. Readily available data saves time, money and efforts of researchers and helps the researcher in completing their research activity in a very short span of time. Originality/value: The paper has investigated open access data repositories of BRICS nation that has not been attempted earlier. This gives readers comprehensive overview of research data repositories developed in fast emerging economies of the global. The paper can be very helpful for information managers, OA promoters and education and research policy makers to devise plans and policy bearing in mind the evolving research channels in emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hip arthroplasty and revision surgery are growing exponentially in OECD countries. In developing countries, it is an infrequent intervention and its practice is limited. It is exposed to a higher rate of infectious and mechanical failures than in developed countries. The aim of the actual study is to provide a review of the literature on total hip arthroplasty series in sub-Saharan Africa followed by an overview of the interest and perspectives of the use of dual mobility (DM) cups. Materials and methods: Scopus, EMBASE, Medline, PubMed, and Safoonline databases were searched including papers published at any date. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. All papers from South Africa were excluded. Results: We identified 22 series of total hip arthroplasty in 14 SSA countries. The practice of total hip arthroplasty is not very widespread. The cups used are mostly conventional implants, and complications (mechanical and infectious) are frequent. Discussion: The interest for the use of dual mobility cups in sub-Saharan Africa can be summarized in two points: mechanical and socio-economical. Dual mobility cups provide more mechanical stability and a reduction in the overall cost of treatment by reducing the rate of complications. These prospects will make it possible to evaluate this medical device in the long term in a hostile environment conductive to complications. Conclusion: The use of dual mobility deserves to be developed in African settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global South education practices remain at large monolingual, despite the rich repositories of local ways of knowing and being. Translanguaging, as a field of study, has come a step further towards decolonising language classrooms and offering teachers agency and learners deeper access to knowledge. However, interpretations of this phenomenon are still linguistic based on traditional bilingual education programmes. In this paper, we explore what translanguaging means for Brazil and South Africa, aiming to draw together an account of multilingualism based on the local cultural competencies. By considering African sociolinguistic and Brazilian contexts that predate European colonialism, we draw on the indigenous cultural repertoires of these countries to counter colonial and unquestioned assumptions pertaining to multilingual education in both countries. We apply and reposition the theory of ubuntu translanguaging to make a case for decolonisation within and outside of translanguaging discourses. Additionally, useful pedagogic recommendations for teaching literacy from the ubuntu perspective are provided for adaptation in related contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family supportive supervisor behaviours (FSSB) has received growing attention as an effective set of behaviours to facilitate the integration of work and family responsibilities. However, the FSSB construct remains limited in its sensitivity to context and our understanding of FSSB remains embedded in experiences from high-income global North countries and in white collar and private organisational settings. This paper presents a context-sensitive interpretation of FSSB for breastfeeding at work among public school teachers in South Africa–a middle-income global South country. Thematic analysis of in-depth interview data from teachers who are mothers, and principals as supervisors, underscored intersecting layers of contextual complexities that advance understanding of FSSB for supporting breastfeeding at work. Patriarchal culture and pervasive gender-based violence in South Africa compromises mothers' access to FSSB, while historical socio-spatial inequalities endemic in the public education sector limits the viability of all dimensions of FSSB to improve breastfeeding at work. The study findings have implications for the application of FSSB in diverse geographical, socio-cultural, and economic contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various scholars in the global north have explored information disorders and have been able to present findings on them and their implications on various sectors; unfortunately, this has not always been the case for the global South. This desktop study explores information disorders in South Africa during the July 2021 unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal between the 7-19 July. This paper demonstrates that information disorders on social media have been used as a catalyst for unrest; they are used to mobilize both those online and offline. This work shows how politicians and influential individuals used these disorders to facilitate and instigate civil unrest during July 2021. This work argues that people in political office and influential individuals should be aware of the responsibility of being influential and the consequences of their social media posts. The work further argues that despite various ways to counter these information disorders, the digital divide and literacy rate in South Africa make this challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate South Africa's implementation of educational Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which is led by Gauteng and the Western Cape Provinces, for participation in the global knowledge economy. Accordingly, the two provinces are in the forefront of educational ICT implementation aimed at preparing learners for participation in the global knowledge economy and national development. The paper uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to examine South Africa in comparison with fourteen developing countries to establish that its approach towards implementation of educational technology is not appropriate, sustainable nor effective for a developing country. Experiences of developing countries such as Vietnam, Zambia and Kenya, which are in the medium and low Human Development Index (HDI) categories, show that national technological cultures of people have not evolved into what is characterised as the 'Net Natives', which is one of the primary driving force for the adoption of blended pedagogies as an approach for implementing educational technology, to enhance participation in the global knowledge economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While existing literature has amply demonstrated how states may "see" their populations, we know less about which residents are legible to the state as populations. Drawing on extended ethnographic fieldwork and interviews conducted between 2011 and 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa, this paper compares the fate of two large land occupations, one of which was evicted, one of which was not. In doing so, this paper demonstrates how rather than taking "populations" as a given, this status should be understood as an outcome. It suggests that participants in each respective occupation began with different views of the state. In other words, the way residents saw the state impacted each respective organizational outcome, which in turn affected how they were seen by the state. In one occupation, participants saw the state as a partner in obtaining housing, and so they organized themselves as atomized recipients. In the other, they viewed the state as an obstacle, and so they organized themselves collectively. Only in the latter case were residents viewed as a population; in the former, they were all evicted. Ultimately, this paper argues that, by bringing tools from political sociology to bear upon urban ethnography, we can gain insight into a process otherwise overlooked in the literature, allowing us to make sense of a question that is central to understanding urban politics in the global South: how do municipal governments decide which occupations to evict and which to tolerate? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its global standards and brand recognition, Uber has become an important form of transportation and is now found throughout the world. It has played a role in transforming local mobilities in many cities, particularly those lacking efficient public transportation options. Uber has played a particularly important role in increasing mobilities in places with security concerns, such as South Africa, due to their competitive rates, the accountability of drivers, and their innovative security features. Uber promotes itself as a peer-to-peer platform that connects drivers to riders, calling drivers 'partners', and vehemently dismissing any claims that it is an employer. The company advocates the ability of Uber to increase economic upliftment, particularly in the Global South. South Africa has staggering urban un-and-underemployment rates and, therefore, Uber can be seen as a potential tool for job creation or a means of supplementing low and inconsistent wages. A critical analysis of these claims demonstrates the manner in which Uber has emerged as an employment mechanism in South Africa within a 'decent work' framework. The findings are based on an analysis of detailed questionnaires distributed to Uber drivers based in South Africa as well as ethnographic research. It also draws on secondary sources, such as driver forums, newspaper articles and the Uber South Africa website. The findings demonstrate the many challenges faced by Uber drivers such as long working hours, low fares, subcontracting of drivers and concerns over driver safety. The paper introduces primary research in the form of driver surveys and questions the discourse propagated by the company as a mechanism for economic upliftment. In particular, the results show that working for Uber, according to these results, should not be considered decent work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing consensus among applied linguists from the Global South that orthodox linguistic and applied linguistic paradigms, theoretical frameworks and methodologies do not adequately serve these contexts. As a result, there has been an increase in interest in challenging Global North paradigms, theoretical perspectives and methodologies. In line with these concerns, in this critical reflective paper, I interrogate the notion of cross-linguistic transfer, which remains popular in some studies on language and literacy learning and teaching in linguistically and culturally complex Global South contexts, including the South African context. Using two studies drawn from two complex multilingual South African universities as illustrative cases (Dyers and Antia, 2019; Makalela, 2014), and framing these studies from a decolonial lens and a translanguaging perspective, I show that the concept of cross-linguistic transfer is problematic because it fails to capture a range of the communicative repertoires, both linguistic and non-linguistic, of multilingual students in these universities, and by extension, in similar contexts. I also contend that the notion of "transfer" in cross-linguistic transfer undermines the multidimensional interdependence of communicative resources of multilingual users. Following this critical analysis, I call for the reconceptualization of cross-linguistic transfer, arguing that this conceptual vocabulary is not consistent with the ontological realities and epistemological perspectives of multilingual students in a complex multilingual South African context. I conclude the paper by briefly discussing the implications of the reconceptualization of cross-linguistic transfer for multilingual educational settings and language and literacy research in the geographic African context, in general, and the South African context, in particular. • Reconceptualising cross-linguistic transfer from a Global South perspective. • Ubuntu translanguaging as an analytic framework for understanding multilingual practices in two South African universities. • Reanalysis of the cases shows that linguistic fluidity is tied to non-human resources. • Decolonial scholars should interrogate received frameworks, while proposing alternative ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calls for transformative adaptation to climate change require attention to the type of capacity building that can support it. Community-level capacity building can help to ensure ownership and legitimacy of longer-term interventions. Given that marginalized communities are highly vulnerable to climate risk, it is important to build their capacity to adapt locally and to integrate their perspectives into higher-level adaptation measures. Current adaptation policy does not pay sufficient attention to this. Using a Cape Town-based project on water governance in low-income urban settlements, this paper explores how a transdisciplinary research project supported capacity building. Our findings suggest that knowledge co-creation at the community level is central to the capacity building that is needed in order to inform transformative adaptation. The collaborative methodology used is also important; we illustrate how a transdisciplinary approach can contribute to transformative adaptation where knowledge is co-produced to empower community-level actors and organizations to assert their perspectives with greater confidence and legitimacy. We argue that if capacity building processes shift from the top-down transferal of existing knowledge to the co-creation of contextual understandings, they have the potential to deliver more transformative adaptation. By considering diverse sources of knowledge and knowledge systems, capacity building can start to confront inequalities and shift dominant power dynamics. Adaptation policy could provide more guidance and support for community-level transdisciplinary processes that can enable this type of transformative adaptation. Key policy insights To address equity and justice issues as well as climate risk, adaptation policy needs to better support transformative adaptation. Community-level capacity building, called for by developing countries, will benefit from more attention to bottom-up approaches as a complement to top-down ones. Community-led research that draws on a diversity of knowledge systems can effectively inform the development of transformative adaptation interventions. Transdisciplinary research methods present a promising pedagogical approach to building transformative adaptation capacity. Adaptation policy for capacity building would benefit from a broader understanding of governance that includes local participation and values bottom-up contributions. A priority for capacity building is getting previously excluded actors a spot at the negotiating table as well as skills to substantiate their arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization can challenge sustainable development if it produces unequal outcomes. Infrastructure is an important urbanization dimension, providing services to support diverse urban activities. However, it can lock in unequal outcomes due to its durable nature. This paper studies inequalities in infrastructure distributions to derive insights into the structure and characteristics of unequal outcomes associated with urbanization. We analyzed infrastructure inequalities in two emerging economies in the Global South: India and South Africa. We developed and applied an inequality measure to understand the structure of inequality in infrastructure provisioning (based on census data) and infrastructure availability (based on satellite nighttime lights [NTLs] data). Consistent with differences in economic inequality, results show greater inequalities in South Africa than in India and greater urban inequalities than rural inequalities. Nevertheless, inequalities in urban infrastructure provisioning and infrastructure availability increase from finer to coarser spatial scales. NTL-based inequality measurements additionally show that inequalities are more concentrated at coarse spatial scales in India than in South Africa. Finally, results show that urban inequalities in infrastructure provisioning covary with urbanization levels conceptualized as a multidimensional phenomenon, including demographic, economic, and infrastructural dimensions. Similarly, inequalities in urban infrastructure availability increase monotonically with infrastructure development levels and urban population size. Together, these findings underscore infrastructure inequalities as a feature of urbanization and suggest that understanding urban inequalities requires applying an inequality lens to urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing literature on the impact of Covid-19 on commercial and labour conditions at suppliers in apparel global value chains (GVCs). Yet much less is known about the implications for suppliers operating in regional value chains (RVCs) in the global South. In this article, we focus on Eswatini, which has grown to become the largest African manufacturer and exporter of apparel to the region. We draw on a combination of firm-level export data and interviews with stakeholders before and after the Covid-19 lockdown to shed light on the influence of private and public governance on suppliers' economic and social upgrading and downgrading. We point to the coexistence of two separate private governance structures: the first characterised by direct contracts between South African retailers and large manufacturers (direct suppliers); the second operating through indirect purchasing via intermediaries from relatively smaller producers (indirect suppliers). While direct suppliers enjoyed higher levels of economic and social upgrading than indirect suppliers before Covid-19, the pandemic reinforced this division, with severe price cuts for indirect suppliers. Furthermore, while retailers provided some direct suppliers with support throughout the crisis, this was not the case for indirect suppliers, who remain comparatively more vulnerable. In terms of public governance, the negative consequences of the lockdown on firms' income and workers' livelihoods have been compounded by the state's ineffective response. Our paper contributes to the research on RVCs in the global South, enhancing our understanding of how different governance structures and external shocks affect firms' and workers' upgrading and downgrading prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic has affected one and all in unison. Different sectors, including the educational sector, have been disproportionately affected in developing and the least developed nations. Against this backdrop, this paper, while considering the impact that the pandemic has had on the education sector in developing nations viz. – India, South Africa, and Bangladesh, aims to bring to light the importance of teaching global mindset as there are several unique implications, challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for these nations. Using qualitative methodology, this research adopts an exploratory approach to understand how, among other things, the education sector can catalyze the development and teaching of a global mindset in the selected three countries and can be responsive even beyond. Ten semi-structured interviews have been conducted with "institutional heads/directors" across higher educational institutions in the nations under study to answer the research question that brings out three themes: global and local problem solving, resources, and international experiential learning and exposure toward developing a global mindset. Finally, while corroborating the findings of the research, the article also proposes a new definition of a "global mindset". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/Purpose This paper identified and explored the factors influencing Bitcoin adoption and use in South Africa. Background Since its introduction in 2008, the value and popularity of Bitcoin has risen exponentially. Captivating the eyes of the world, from regulators to economists, Bitcoin promises to revolutionize the digital currency space. Despite being over 10 years old, the concept of cryptocurrency is fairly new in South Africa, a developing country. South African's interest in Bitcoin continues to grow with the country constantly ranking within the top 10 in online searches for "Bitcoin" and "cryptocurrency" on Google. The primary objective of this research was to identify adoption factors amongst South African citizens, an area that has not received much research focus in the past. In addition to this, the study aimed to identify how Bitcoin is primarily used in South Africa. Methodology A survey-based questionnaire was utilized to obtain responses from adopters of Bitcoin in South Africa. The quantitative survey was completed by 204 respondents. Contribution This research contributes to the body of knowledge relating to Bitcoin adoption, specifically from a developing country. Adoption factors are identified that can be utilized by businesses that intend to adopt cryptocurrency, to strategically prepare for the potential risks or opportunities brought about by Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general. Findings The findings of this study indicate that while perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norms, and facilitating conditions positively influence intention to adopt Bitcoin, trust was the only construct that is statistically significant and hence is the greatest driver of adoption in South Africa. In terms of its primary use in South Africa, the study revealed that Bitcoin is used as a speculative instrument for short-term trading in South Africa followed by being used as a long-term investment in the crypto-asset class. No respondent indicated that they utilize Bitcoin as a payment method in South Africa. Recommendations for Practitioners When developing crypto-based investment products, custodians of assets must ensure that a minimum-security protocol is followed to safeguard these assets. This will enhance the trust that potential investors and customers have in their systems and products. Recommendations for Researchers This study focused on adoption factors for South African citizens. Future studies should be conducted to identify adoption factors by businesses in South Africa. Impact on Society Bitcoin offers an alternate trading instrument and investment option, with the possibility of large gains over a relatively short period. Bitcoin also presents the possibility of cross-border transactions at a significantly lower cost compared to traditional cross-border transfers of funds. Future Research Studies should be conducted to explore the factors influencing the adoption of altcoins to determine if the technological differences influence the adoption of one currency over the other. Research should also be conducted comparing the taxation of cryptocurrency in various countries around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In South Africa, young men are generally considered to generate many of the risks associated with informal settlement life, yet their own vulnerability in these environments is seldom considered. Seeking insights into male susceptibility in these impoverished urban spaces is methodologically challenging. How does one encourage poor marginalised young men to speak with candour about their insecurities and challenges? The research methods used, while facilitating openness, should also build their confidence as they reflect on the challenges of everyday life. This paper describes the methodological journey undertaken in a study of young Black men living in informal settlements in Cape Town, South Africa, revealing how they perceive their vulnerability in these environments. It demonstrates how a suite of methods gradually developed through trial and error, with the young men themselves assisting in the adaptation of tools, ranging from interviews using adapted participatory methods to non‐prescriptive diary‐writing. Together they delivered deep and penetrating insights into the lives of the young men, and the nature of their vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, the minister responsible for local government requested the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) to restructure municipalities with a view to increasing their financial viability, a process that was duly conducted in 2016. This study assessed the requests for boundary redeterminations received by the MDB after this restructuring took place with a specific focus on those from the Vhembe District. These requests included a call for the reversal of the restructuring that occurred in 2016. The study found that insufficient attention was paid to ethnic identity issues before reorganising the municipalities in the district. Also, financial viability did not improve after 2016 with some municipalities becoming more dependent on government transfers. The argument in this paper is that municipal restructuring in South Africa after 2002 was characterised by isomorphism—international trends were copied based on concepts such as "scale economies" that promised financial viability in amalgamated municipalities. However, South Africa is a developing country with developing country problems—poorly qualified and corrupt managers running municipalities, semi-literate councillors who cannot provide effective oversight and ethnic groups that still set great store on tradition, language and culture. The MDB will have to revisit some of the boundary redetermination decisions of the past. Where errors have occurred, these will have to be corrected. Redetermination decisions in areas such as the Vhembe District need to be based on advice from anthropologists and not just the criteria as laid out in the legislation. Sensitive ethnic issues cannot be wished away in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current global institutional architecture is a product of a bygone era of the power of dominant players to impose themselves on others. This paper argues that the multiple planetary emergencies upon us demand radical transformation of all institutions to reflect on the lessons learnt. It proposes an urgent examination of global governance institutions, with the UN system as the central pillar, with a particular focus on whether they are promoting justice and the social realisations that are part of their mandates. Countries in the Global South, such as South Africa, need to free themselves from the current irrational strictures of the Global Development Finance institutions, and mobilise their national resources—financial and natural—to provide basic needs and services to all their citizens to free their human potential. Citizens living dignified lives beyond survival would become creative energetic contributors to the wellbeing of all in a healthy biosphere, at local, national, regional, and global levels. We could do no better than heed Amartya Sen’s advice and overcome the “institutional fundamentalism” that has made us addicted to the current global institutional framework. The UN system, the Global Development Institutions have evidence of too many fault lines to be able to meet the reasonable social benefits of people living in Most of the World. A Reimagined global institutional framework for the 21st century is urgently needed to provide a platform for wellbeing of all in a healthy biosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study sought to investigate a framework for Library virtual service as the main alternative modus operandi amidst COVID19 global lockdown encounter in South Africa. It is a common fact that COVID19 has brought the entire world to a standstill with most of the services and businesses put on-hold as every country forces its citizens to remain in their households under lockdown in a state of emergency. This paper uses literature to present the arguement that a virtual library service is the main alternative mode of operation that libraries may use to continue rendering their services to their clients. The study discovered that the virtual library is the main alternative in this case where libraries want to help to defeat the coronavirus outbreak and to avoid it from affecting their services to their clients. The study provides a framework for virtual library services that is believed any kind of library may reshape to suit their own environmental needs. Library may in a ways successfully render their services with or without covid 19 pandemic lockdown. It is believed that this may also enable clients to enjoy library services even when under covid 19 lockdown in their respective countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the influence of the Covid-19 coverage by the social media upon the shape of the sovereign yield curves of the five major developing countries, namely Federative Republic of B razil, Russian Federation, Republic of India, People's Republic of China, and the Republic of South Africa (BRICS). The coherenc e between the level, slope, and the curvature of the sovereign yield term structures and the Covid-19 medi a coverage is found to vary between low and high ranges, depending on the phases of the pandemic. The empirical estimations of the yield-curve factors a re performed by means of the Diebold–Li modified version of the Nelson–Siegel model. The intervals of low coherence reveal the capacity of the two latent factors, level and slope, to be used for creating cross-factor diversification strategies, workable under crisis conditions, as evidenced on the example of the ongoing pandemic. Diverse coherence patterns are reported on a per-country basis, highlighting a promising potential of sovereign debt investments for designing cross-country and cross-factor fixed-income strategies, capable of hedging downside risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a demand-driven growth model is used to explore climate change scenarios faced by the South African economy. The focus is on key macroeconomic variables including employment, productivity, income distribution, trade, and fiscal balances. Results show that emission reduction alone will not put South Africa on a sustainable and equitable growth path. Expansionary macroeconomic policies are necessary. We show that, under sufficient global mitigation, expansionary fiscal and monetary policies lead to faster output and productivity growth, higher employment, and lower inequality. By contrast, macroeconomic tightening or "free riding" on global emission reduction lead to inferior outcomes, putting sustainable development out of reach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]